Glenn Jacobs, as he is known out of the ring, was elected mayor of Knox County, TN.

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Published August 3, 2018

Published 11 days ago

Glenn Jacobs, the 6'8" WWE wrestling star better known as Kane, delivered an electoral smackdown Thursday, easily defeating opponent Linda Haney in a mayoral election in Tennessee. The 51-year-old Republican will become the new mayor of Knox County, having captured more than 66% of the vote.

Icon Sport/Icon Sport via Getty ImagesJacobs was wrestling as recently as July, when he participated in the WWE Smackdown event in Omaha, Nebraska. When his opponent criticized him on the trail for wrestling instead of speaking with constituents, he told the Knoxville News Sentinel, “After I am elected mayor, I’ll be mayor. [Though] I may still do a few special things. I’ve done it for 23 years now and have quite a history, it’ll always be part of my life. I think the question is, if I am taking it seriously, and of course I am. I wouldn’t [be running] if not."

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KMazur/WireImageJacobs first established his character, Kane, in 1995. He played the younger brother of The Undertaker, shown here in Kane's hands.

Chris Ryan - Corbis/Corbis via Getty ImagesIn the early years, Kane wore long hair and a mask, which he periodically took off as part of elaborate WWE plotlines.Icon Sport/Icon Sport via Getty ImagesIn addition to his wrestling career, Jacobs also owns an insurance business in Knoxville. During the election, he touted his conservative values, calling for lower taxes and limited government.Jed Jacobsohn/Sports Illustrated/Getty ImagesJacobs grew up in Missouri, but moved to eastern Tennessee in 1995, where he has been based since. His wrestling schedule had him traveling the country, which he said would help him as mayor. "The thing someone like me brings to a race like this is, because of who I am, I can put Knox County in a positive light, nationally," he told local news station WBIR. "There are so many great things our county has to offer, and frankly the rest of the country needs to know about it."

Don Arnold/WireImageJacobs will be sworn in on September 1 for his first term as mayor.